Flashback
by Anti-Logic
Summary: The carnival's in town again, and the Gaang is going for a day of thrilling rides and good eats. But the fairgrounds are filled with memories of years past, which may just lead to their futures. Contest winner. AU Zutara, Tokka
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this is my last-minute entry for Twilight Rose 2's contest. I seriously found out about this just last night, but I got excited and had to do one.

I know the last thing you're supposed to do is prejudice your audience, but I'll tell you here and now that I'm not entirely happy with the results of one day's work. It could be better, but at least I enjoyed writing it, huh? :D Actually I should really say "am enjoying it," since there'll be about four chapters by the end, all up by the end of the day. I also am not usually a Zutara shipper, but dang, did it turn out to be fun to write.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. Nope, not even an action figure.

* * *

"Come _on._"

He ran slightly ahead, the early summer sun giving his already boyish appearance a healthy glow. He turned around and smiled toothily at his companions, now walking nearly backwards and almost stumbling in his excitement.

"Aang, calm down. This thing shows up every year; it's not that big of a deal." This second male voice was tightly woven with adulthood in its center. It still frayed towards the edges, however, with the childish nature that he was still composed of at the core, whether he liked it or not.

A female voice sighed with exaggerated annoyance.

"Sokka, you know you're as excited as he is. Now run ahead and get the wristbands."

Sokka gave a sidelong glance at his sister, wrestling with his inner child and doing a bad job at hiding it.

"But Kataraaa…carnivals are for kids."

Katara only responded with a knowing look, lips curling despite herself. Her brother weighed his options for a moment in solemn concentration, his pride at stake. He sighed and began a speech he had practiced many times, the words simply dripping with the holy pride of manhood that he treasured so.

"Listen up, guys. You all have to understand that I'm maturing. I know you've looked at me as a playmate in times past, but there comes a time in every man's life when he has to…to…"

"To what?"

"…Oh, hell. Aang, I'll race ya!"

"Wha…? Hey, you cheater, get back here!"

The two figures dashed through the more sparsely populated parking lot area towards the throng at the carnival gates, leaving the two girls behind.

"And they're off." Dry and annoyed, the statement came from the shorter girl who hadn't said a word the entire way there. A slightly awkward silence followed, a tension in the otherwise perfect day.

"You're not still mad at me…right, Toph?"

The girls contrasted sharply, one in stylish layers of pretty pastels, the other in a baggy sports shirt and boy shorts. No one would pin the two as best friends, especially not on this particular afternoon. While normally their opposite personalities would bounce off each other and add energy to their friendship, now they simply created friction.

"Look, I said I was sorry."

"Whatever."

"I didn't know, honestly! Well, not at first. I mean, I thought it was just a notebook for school, and anyway you don't seem the type to keep a –"

"Shut up."

Katara bit back her excuses as Toph stared straight ahead with a glare that could liquidize metal. A bizarre part of Katara's mind suddenly got the notion that she was _glad_ Toph was blind so that the terrifying glare wouldn't be directed at _her –_ then she realized how cruel it sounded and brushed it aside. Although, she couldn't help but think that normally Toph would have laughed if she had said something like that.

They made it to the gates without another word as a bouncing Sokka waved the wristbands in front of their faces.

"Let's go on the Loop first! Or that ship thing...or maybe we should just hit the elephant ear booth now, and –"

"Carnivals are for kids, huh?"

"What? Shut up, baldie!"

"Hey, that's not fair, I told you it was for the swim team!"

"Yeeaah…does shaving your headmake you swim faster or what?"

"No! It's a team ritual, okay? It'll grow back!"

"Pretty crazy ritual you've got there…"

The two boys walked slightly in front once again, playing at typical boyish banter games until Sokka turned around and grinned at the younger of the girls.

"Hey Toph, you wanna ride the big one with me?"

Toph scowled, ducking her head slightly.

"You'd scream like a girl."

"What?! Of course I wouldn't!"

And now there were three involved in the game. Katara stayed silent, trying hard not to look too perturbed. It was likely that only she knew the reason for Toph's ducking head, only she saw the flush that quickly spread across her cheeks behind her bangs. How could she have been stupid enough not to notice before? She had always prided herself on being the sympathetic one, the one that knew just what everyone was thinking, what they had thought before, and sometimes what conclusions they'd come to next. She could usually read everyone so _easily. _

Well…except for _him._ But that didn't matter.

"Hey," she inserted into the game that had by now degenerated into furious name-calling, "let's do this systematically."

"Systa-whatahoo?"

"Syste_matically," _she repeated with a glare at her brother. How he got such good grades in math and science she would never understand. "I mean, we can split up and check out both sides of the carnival, then meet up and tell the group which rides were good and which weren't."

"Isn't that kinda complicated for a carnival?"

"No, I like it," Aang added, obviously taking this carnival business very seriously. "We can cut out half the boring rides we'd have to experiment with that way." Sokka stroked his imaginary beard.

"Hmm…we _would _increase our fun output by at least thirty percent…let's do it!"

"Good," Katara smiled, "Then you take Toph to the… 'big one.'"

Sokka and Aang agreed cheerfully as Toph, once again, mysteriously ducked her head. Hey, Katara had messed up the situation when she had read Toph's journal. Now she was making up for it.

Toph didn't appreciate the gesture, which she made very clear in her whispered, "You're _dead_, Sugarqueen" as Sokka pulled her past.

Now she was left to wander with Aang, who immediately took it upon himself to win her a prize at the shooting arcade. She really did love her friend, glaringly yellow T-shirt and orange shorts combo and all, but his crush on her led to some pretty annoying actions.

"No, just one more round, Katara, I know I can win!"

"Aang, come on, let's just get in line for a ride or something."

"But you said you liked that stuffed…thing!"

"I said _Sokka _would like it. Secretly."

"Then I'll get you _that_ one, the blue one!"

He glanced back at Katara's exasperated expression and hesitated.

"But if you're bored, you can go ahead. I'll meet you after you get off…how about the Loop?"

Katara smiled slightly in relief and agreed, feeling a bit guilty for being rude to him. The gesture was sweet, after all.

She began the trek to the ride, but distances always seemed to increase in carnivals. She soon found herself running like she had when she was a small child. Now she would call over her shoulder to implore her mother to go faster…now she would race Sokka to the line as he teased her about being afraid to go on the ones that went upside down. She felt a little silly as she relived the bittersweet memory while she ran, but she had to remind herself in some way that Sokka wasn't the only one with an inner child. Now her brother would give her a light shove in his haste to get ahead, now she would shout out in protest. Now she would glimpse another boy hiding in a corner of the House of Mirrors…

She actually stumbled this time, eyes drawn to the crudely painted building. Heh, she should have expected it to be the exact same one as before – anything else would have killed the irony. Yes, it was the same…there was the dent in the flimsy outer wall, a few feet to the right of the entrance, painted over in the same lurid green as the rest by now but still very visible to someone who found meaning in it. It was funny to think that she would probably be visiting the attraction with _Aang_ later instead of the childhood version of another boy.

She probably looked strange, standing there alone in the middle of a carnival, body language suddenly screaming indecision. She gave once last glance at the towering Loop before changing course. She had a few old ghosts to visit.

* * *

Reviews are much appreciated – worshipped, if you want to get technical.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: What did I tell you? ;) Second chapter, right here.

* * *

Sokka was slightly confused, as Toph had been acting rather annoyed the entire time they were in line. It was normal for them to exchange witty banter, it being a specialty of his, but she was being a bit more mean than usual and it was doing some damage to his pride. He was a man, after all. He needed to prove it.

"Now remember, if you get scared on the ride I'll be right there next to you," he said in a slightly patronizing tone, eyes closed in a self-satisfied smile. He was expecting the sharp retort and the accompanying pain in his forearm, but they didn't come. He cracked one eye open in confusion to see that Toph had ducked her head once again.

"Is there something wrong with your neck?"

"What? Of course not, barfbrain!"

"Well, I was just wondering, since you keep ducking your – wait, barfbrain? You can do better than that; it didn't even make sense!"

Ah. _There_ was the pain.

Massaging his arm, he stepped forward as the line rippled slightly in the carnival-goers' epic quest to actually _get _to the ride. Almost there now. There was a long pause, followed by an eloquent:

"You're acting weird."

Toph would have responded if their musings on her behavioral patterns hadn't been cut short by a bored sounded "Wristbands," followed by a slightly incredulous "Wait…"

Oh boy. He wasn't.

"Is she…"

He had better not.

"…_blind?"_

He had.

* * *

Katara decided that the inside of the House of Mirrors was certainly much prettier than the outside; it always had been. There was something hypnotic about it. Perhaps it was the simple _not knowing _– there were so many possible directions to choose, and so many of them were simply false. All one had to do was see a reflection to know the lies from the truth, but somehow it wasn't that simple. The brain wouldn't always process the sight of its own body in this crystalline wonderland; too many reflections again and again dulled its awareness.

She proceeded cautiously, skimming her hand lightly along the reflective wall as less patient children brushed passed her, laughing and shrieking to a backdrop of tinny carnival music. There, that corner. It was visible from outside from a certain angle; the boy had certainly chosen a bad hiding place all those years ago.

"_Hey, wa-tcha doin' down there?"_

"_Go away."_

The ghost of a smile crossed her lips.

"_If you're cryin' I think I've got a tissue somewhere…"_

"_I'm _not _crying! That's for girls! I'm just…thinking."_

"_Oh…about what?"_

"…_Stuff."_

She went deeper into the maze, realizing that she remembered every twist and turn. How strange. There, that was where she had run into a mirror, making him laugh. She had been angry of course, but a part of her was glad in a small way that she could cheer him up, because whatever he had been thinking of definitely wasn't too happy. Then he had – ever so hesitantly – smiled at her in a sheepish, apologetic way that made her positively _beam. _

Aha, there it was, the hard-to-find little corner where the maze opened up into a sort of octagon. Her miniature ballroom.

_The mirrors reflected her from every angle as she spun, dancing with an invisible partner as the boy looked on. _

"_You look stupid."_

"_But it's fun! C'mon, you should try it!"_

"_Are you crazy? Boys don't dance!"_

They had passed the rest of their time in this little enclave, she reflected. The carnival music had faded to a distance where it was gentler on the ear. After a moment's hesitation, she continued the waltz she had started so long ago, eyes closed as she twirled, not particularly caring if a wandering child saw her now.

What she hadn't expected was for the voice of the child to sound so close to her own age, or to bring such a rush of recognition with it.

"You look stupid."

* * *

"Uh, I don't know if we're allowed…"

The voice trailed off and just like that, Sokka's day went right down the drain. Something that their little group had learned long ago was that Toph hated being treated like an invalid, and he found himself inherently hating it too. Why would anyone think that Toph – strong, independent Toph – could possibly not do things that anyone else could? Hell, she didn't even need a cane, she had learned to use her other senses so well. She was definitely special, and no one really took the time to notice.

Toph was angry too, her nails digging into her palms and her mouth opening in defiance, about to give this poor man a piece of her mind for daring to think that maybe she couldn't endure the ride. Sokka would have just sat back and watched in mild amusement if he didn't know from experience that arguing back to a carnie from this particular company could result in an easy expulsion from the park. Last year's infamous hot dog incident had taught him that much.

Come to think of it, that day was when he had really gotten to know Toph.

_"All I did was tell them that my hotdog wasn't cooked right. Okay, so maybe I got a little_

_serious about it, but –"_

"_It's carnie food. What do you expect, snotball?"_

He cut off her tirade hastily.

"Look, she's completely capable of riding this; she'll be strapped in the whole time."

"Well maybe it's not such a good idea. What if…I mean, she's not…"

"_Even if it's carnie food, they should at least respect the – hey, what are you doing out here?"_

"_I got kicked out too."_

"It doesn't even matter!" he said with exasperation.

"And why not?"

Sokka knew Toph was itching to add her own little two-cents, but he wasn't about to let her get them kicked out. As she raised her tightly balled fist to put emphasize on her words (possibly with contact as well as visually; he couldn't be sure) he put his own on top of it, jerking their hands down to their sides.

"_Huh. Why?"_

_Incoherent grumbling._

"_Come on…tell me."_

"_I got mad when the dunghead told me I couldn't ride 'cause I was…blind." The last word was uncharacteristically muted. Normally this was no source of shame for the girl._

"Look," he plowed ahead, "she's ridden the rides all the other years, except when the guy at the ride randomly decides he doesn't think she's fit. She's just as capable of –"

He stopped short. He had glanced at Toph to avoid further murderous action only to find that she, having turned a shade of pink that clashed violently with the Toph he knew, wasn't even paying attention to the conversation – just his hand.

That was still holding onto hers.

"…_Does stuff like that happen a lot?"_

"_Kinda." A brazen laugh. "I don't let it get to me, though."_

"…_It must be pretty hard."_

"_Yeah...yeah, sometimes it is."_

* * *

Oh, just you know, I haven't read any of the other entries yet. I'm a little paranoid about mine being the same as someone else's, so if it is it's totally accidental.

Review?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And the easy part stops here. I still haven't written the last chapter, unlike these ones that I just had to create final drafts of. Have fun.

* * *

Katara felt all of the blood drain out of her face. How could he possibly…why would he be…

She turned slowly, knowing exactly what she would see. Her life seemed to be filled to the brim with irony lately, and this would be no exception she was sure. It was right, she concluded, to see his face in the entrance to her little ballroom, exactly where he had been so many years ago. But that scar hadn't been there in her memories of this place; no, she had only seen it once before, just a year after their adventure in this wonderland.

"_Hey! Hey, I'm so happy I saw you! Do you 'member me? Wow, we haven't seen each other since the last carnival; this is so great! Wanna come dance in the House of Mirrors again? Or I know, we could –"_

"_No."_

"…_What?"_

"_No, that's stupid. Besides, why would I spend time with _you?"

She immediately felt that that time was incredibly different than their first meeting somehow, despite the similarity of the words. Even as a child – or perhaps especially as a child – she was able to tell that there was something different with the boy that year. It surprised her that she couldn't read him as she used to be able to, could no longer tell what he thought about her or…well, about anything.

It scared her.

_That _boy had waltzed clumsily with her – yes, she had finally gotten him to grant her one dance – and had a side of simple sweetnessto him that he was very bad at hiding. _This_ boy was bitter to the core, and the burn scar that now covered much of his face seemed only like an outward manifestation.

"…What are you doing here?" Her tone was guarded.

"Just thinking."

The reference to their first meeting coupled with his wry smile caused a thrill to run down her spine. He looked…damnit, she didn't know. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, couldn't understand why…

_A dark haired girl with eyes too crafty for her age disrupted their waltz with a singsong taunt:_

"_Zuko, Dad's going to kill you…really, he is."_

_Zuko – his name was Zuko – pulled away. His expression was mixed, one of annoyance and…was that fear? _

"_You hafta come, Zuzu," the girl continued maliciously, "He knows you've been hiding." _

_The boy looked at Katara reluctantly before sprinting towards the entrance. She had too many questions, and she followed him and his sister as best she could, but the mirrors entangled her, entrapped her in so many false images. She would see him and follow full-tilt, only to realize that it wasn't the real him – none of it._

None of it.

* * *

Sokka realized, to his horror, that _his_ cheeks were heating up as well. It was purely due to embarrassment for causing Toph that awkward moment, of course; she was probably itching to get his hand off of hers.

"Capable of…?"

Oh. Right. The carnie was still waiting for him to finish his sentence. What had he been talking about again? His train of thought had been totally derailed as he continued to search Toph's face for…what was he even looking for?

The man sighed.

"Kid, just convince me your girlfriend'll be alright. There are people behind you."

"…Huh?" he was even more disoriented now, half of his mind prodding him hard to answer the man, the other half screaming to _take his freaking hand off of Toph's already._ Strange that neither side seemed to realize that he could do both at once. But maybe he could work the situation to his advantage, make the guy understand that he would keep Toph safe…not that she needed it, of course.

"_You know I could kick anyone's butt if they looked down on you, right?"_

"_Tch, so could I."_

"Uh…yeah, I can keep my…girlfriend safe." He intertwined his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand and swinging it slightly. Hey, if the carnie was skeptical, wouldn't it make sense for him to trust a "special friend" more than a friend with a girl's life? This was a completely necessary guise.

Completely necessary.

He only hoped that Toph didn't kill him for it later.

But…did she really need to blush _that _hard? Was it that embarrassing to be called his girlfriend?

He cast his eyes around the park for a distraction as he strapped himself into the ride (a sort of indescribably twisty-loopy thing that promised great thrills), hoping to avoid Toph's impending wrath.

"Hey, look! Er…I mean, Aang's not far away, and he's with a _girl…"_

Toph laughed shakily.

"Really? Like, not Katara? I was wondering if he'd ever get over that crush."

Sokka wasn't sure how he was escaping a verbal beating so easily, but he was willing to accept his good luck in stride.

"Eh, this girl suits him better anyway. She's the same height, for one thing." There was a slight pause.

"What's wrong with height differences?" Toph asked, suddenly defensive.

"Uh…nothing, I guess. She's like him in other stuff, too. She's got these two black braids that stick out the sides of her head and up, and she's wearing this bright purple…thing. Really big ears. Oh yeah, that's the girl for Aang. And she's completely loaded down with stuffed animals – knowing Aang, I bet he won 'em all for her."

"Heheh…"

"But get this: they're still acting like they're not sure about the other one's reactions. You know, trying to glance all subtly and stuff. Don't see why though; it's so obvious."

"Yeah…"

"Oh, this is rich. They're blushing like crazy."

"Mm…"

"I mean, how obvious can liking someone get?"

Toph was silent.

"If you blush every time you brush against them or even when they're just nearby, it gets really –"

…Wait.

And suddenly Sokka felt as if he had been hit over the head with a Ferris wheel. Toph ducking her head all day while she was around him. Toph getting so distracted when he put his hand on hers, blushing furiously. Toph getting so worked up about _height differences, _for God's sake.

Sokka had always been an idiot.

The ride started and any words he might have had were whipped away in the glory of the rushing machinery, pulling them thirty feet into the air and leaving his insides far behind.

* * *

Yes, that girl with Aang was Meng, oneshot character from The Fortuneteller. xD

You know, some people find review whoring annoying. I find it encouraging. I'm not ashamed to beg. So pretty please, make an author's day?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well, that officially killed me, and I'm not entirely satisfied with it still, but it's done!

In order to not disrupt the flow of the end of the story, I'll put my review request up here: Guys, as I write this, the story has one hundred and twenty two hits and four reviews. Could we maybe fix that, please?

Strangely, this last-minute piece is my first completed multi-chapter fic. Woooo! -streamers-

* * *

Katara searched the guarded face before her, trying so hard to find something – anything – that would give away something he was feeling. Even when he gave that wry smile, she couldn't tell what lay behind it. She looked from his firmly set jaw to his slightly furrowed brow, and finally to his golden eyes. The scar didn't interest her in the slightest. A scar would not tell emotion, would not reveal the dreams and motivations of her almost-friend. All that a scar could tell was the past, not the present or the future, and it was those that she was interested in. The past could wait.

"Do you come here to think a lot?" she tried, hoping that _something _would give him away. Not being able to read him unbalanced her, made her feel as if the situation was entirely too far out of her control. Only then did she realize that she had asked a stupid question. Of course he didn't; the carnival was only here once a year. That was the most he could ever come to this secluded little corner of the universe – but why he would want to, she wasn't completely sure.

_She emerged from the maze, panting hard and for some reason shaken._

"_But Father-"_

"_We have some things to discuss, Zuko." Cold. So cold, but with the slightest undertone of fire that she instinctively knew shouldn't be released._

"_Told you." The little gremlin of a girl lurked behind her father, whose business suit and briefcase contrasted almost comically with his surroundings._

He didn't answer for a few moments, but his face remained the same.

"I haven't come here since last time."

He didn't have to explain what "last time" meant.

"Zuko…" she was unsure where to begin. Hell, she was unsure of a lot of things. She didn't know why she had been so worried about him after he left with his family, for instance. Maybe it was the sight of his terrifying father; maybe it was the dark little girl who seemed to follow in his footsteps. Maybe it was that clumsy waltzing and the sheepish smile…

"_Father, I don't want to go." The words were defiant, but the speaker unsure. _

"_Really?" No, no, don't let the fire out – _

_Slam._

_The briefcase's metal corner left a dent in the lurid green wall, a few feet to the right of the entrance…a few feet to the left of Katara. She flinched back, fighting the urge to hide, to run._

"_We're going." _

"…_Yes, Father."_

_And just like that, without a backwards glance, Zuko – the smiling, waltzing Zuko, _her _Zuko – was gone. _

* * *

The ride was beyond thrilling, both from the expertise of the engineers who had created the loops and turns as well as from the purely terrifying feeling of the machinery groaning around you, threatening to shake itself apart. Carnival rides – half the fun was in the near-death experience. It was useful for distracting him from the problem at hand. By the time they had gone through half of their ride he had almost forgotten what said problem was – almost.

But it was still there, a nagging in the back of his mind that he just couldn't manage to shake off. Toph liked him.

Toph, the ruggedly fierce and independent one (Loop-the-loop).

Toph, the one who couldn't seem to go a day without insulting him (Corkscrew spiral).

Toph, the only girl who would ever be able to whup him in soccer – or pretty much any sport, actually, though he would never admit it. It just wasn't manly to be beaten out by blind girl all the time (He didn't even _know _what that loop thing there was, but it left his head spinning and his insides twisted even worse than before).

Toph was different than just a little blind girl, though. Toph was…well, she was _Toph. _There was really no other way to say it; she was an absolute.

The ride was in its final loop now. No time to think. Whatever he had to do he had to do _now, _or he'd never be able to...to what? What did he need to do so urgently? Tell her. Tell her that they could only be friends, that he didn't return the feelings. That he didn't want to break his friend's heart. He was a man, wasn't he? He could do this. He had to tell her the truth.

The ride slowed to a stop, and Sokka cleared his throat to begin.

He was cut off, however, by the sound of Toph's laughter, unrestrained and joyous beyond words.

"That…was…awesome!" she cried. Obviously the ride had done a much better job at distracting her than it had him. In a rare movement that startled him completely, she leaned over the restraints and turned her head towards him, unseeing eyes gazing at his face in glee. Whether she was aware of it or not, they were directed uncannily at his own.

Pure.

God, they were so pure. Through the bangs, the stubborn rebel had prettiest eyes he had ever seen.

"_Hey…you know something?" He flopped onto the ground._

"_What?"_

"_Well…I dunno, it sounds kinda corny. It might make you feel better, but you also might punch me for the utter sappiness."_

"_Spit it out."_

"_Fine. You being blind and still being able to do everything everyone else does and more is just-"_

Amazing. She was amazing.

He numbly got off the ride with the throng, his sudden slowness earning him a shove from Toph. The thrill seemed to have abated her nervousness and reverted her to a closer version to her normal self.

Sokka had always been an idiot.

How could he have not seen? Him, the most protective of any of them when Toph was looked down on. Him, finding himself enjoying things more when Toph reluctantly allowed him to guide her through an especially crowded area or a sidewalk dotted with puddles. Him, using the "girlfriend" guise to fool the carnie – honestly, was that really necessary? – and liking the feel of her hand in his.

"Toph…" he stopped walking, grabbing her wrist.

"_What, _peabrain?"

It was a stupid thing for a man to do to stop walking in the middle of a crowded area.

It was a _very_ stupid thing for a man to do to convey his emotions to a girl he had just realized he had feelings for not five minutes ago.

And it was an incredibly stupid thing for a man to do to kiss said girl then and there. It was sudden and clichéd and would most likely get the man slapped.

Then again, Sokka had always been an idiot. And he wasn't quite yet a man.

* * *

"You know my name?" Zuko asked, still using that carefully guarded tone.

"Your sister used it."

"And you remembered all this time?"

She smiled wryly.

"I remembered a lot about you."

There. That's what she had been looking for. She had been examining the wrong place; he obviously had much practice with disguising emotions in his face. His hands, however, he had not perfected control of – he held them in loose fists, and the nails dug into his palms slightly as she spoke.

"I know it's weird. I don't even know why myself, but ever since I was little I just couldn't…" Forget.

Why?

"I don't know, it might have just faded away if I wasn't so…well, your dad came and then…then the next time I saw you, you were so different that I-"

"A lot of stuff happened that year." Now he looked slightly uncomfortable, like a bit of his composure was slipping away.

"I don't understand. What happened? Why did you…"

"It's complicated."

"I _worried _about you! I spent the entire night after we met worrying about my 'new friend.' I was little; I nearly cried when I figured out I'd probably never see you again! Then when I do you just brush me off like…like…I don't know! But don't just give me an 'It's complicated,' tell me _why!" _

Tell her why her emotions were getting so involved over a boy she danced with once upon a time in a little glass ballroom.

Any weakness that he had been beginning to show was replaced with anger.

"Why, so you can judge me? You haven't gone through anything I have; you barely know me! It's insane! I have questions too. Why did you remember me after all this time? Why did you _worry? _Why are you so infuriatingly, sickeningly _there?" _He stopped short, and the tense silence hung in the air.

"What do you mean?" she asked, searching his eyes once more.

He avoided her gaze, looking off to her right, not focusing on anything in particular. His next reply was strangely quiet, but just as intense.

"You're not the only one…who wants to understand."

She was stunned into silence as she slowly realized the meaning in his words. He was here for the first time in years…to try and learn why he couldn't forget her, either.

Somehow, she found herself laughing quietly. He met her eyes sharply, expecting the laughter to be directed at him. She shook her head, quieting his opposition before she explained.

"I'm sorry. I guess I need some sleep. It's just that…every year when I come to this carnival, I start thinking about you. I always wonder where you are and what you're thinking, and why you changed. I always expected you to have the answers, but…"

She gave him a helpless shrug, smiling ruefully.

"Neither of us does."

He was silent for a moment; serious eyes bored into her own.

"Then maybe we don't need them."

Yes.

She didn't understand their relationship; it shouldn't have existed, shouldn't have continued. She didn't understand how Zuko had gotten his scar or why he had changed. All she knew was that they were there, in their own little glass ballroom, and that that was _right._

_She extended her hand._

"_Come on, it doesn't hafta be for long."_

"…_Don't tell anybody."_

_A giggle._

"_Okay. Now…"_

"…Let's dance, Zuko."

And the princess waltzed with her prince once more.


End file.
